Last



M. CUOZZO June 2, 1936.

LAST

Filed July 16, 1935 Patented .lune v2, i 1936 PATENT OFFICE LAST MicheleCuozzo, Lynn, Mass., assigner to United v Shoe Machinery Corporation,Paterson, N. J.,

a corporation of New Jersey Application July 16, 1935, Serial No.v31,7647

4 Claims.

My invention relates to lasts for use in connection with the attachmentof heels to shoes, especially when the attachment is to be by suchfastenings as screws.

In an application Vfor improvements in Methods of and apparatusv forattaching shoe heels, led in my name in the United States Patent Officeon January 10, 1934, and bearing the Serial No. 706,000, is disclosed alast in which on abutmentplate or like member is mounted at theheel-seatportion thereof for movement through connections extending tothe top of the last-cone for manipulation by the operator. By thisactuation, the member may be caused to assume positions either in whichthe head of a fastening, presented to an opening in the plate through apassage in the last, is retained so force may be applied to saidfastening to draw adhesive-coated surfaces of a heel and heel-seat of ashoe together, or the head allowed to pass through the plate-opening andthe fastening to be set in place to become a permanent securing elementin the shoe. An object of the present invention is to simplify such anorganization while retaining its full effectiveness. To this end, theabutment member is freed from external connections and is movable underthe inuence of gravity into and out of position for engagement with afastening introduced through the last-passage. It is, consequently, onlynecessary for the operator to inoline the last in opposite directions toobtain the respective registering relations of two portions of the'opening withV the passage. Preferably, the abutment member is ofgenerally rectangular form, being both guided and limited as to its eX-tremes of movement by engagement of its edges with the walls of a recessin which it is movable upon the last.

In the accompanying drawing, one of the various forms Which my inventionmay assume is illustrated,

Fig. 1 being a vertical section through that portion of a last withwhich this invention is particularly concerned, the abutment-plate beingin its fastening-passing position;

Fig 2, a similar View with the plate in its fastening-retainingposition;

Figs. 3 and 4, bottom plan views corresponding to Figs. 1 and 2,respectively, but with the clinching plate of the last removed, WhileFig. 5 is a perspective View of the abutmentplate.

At I0 appears the heel-portion of a last-body, through the cone of whichpasses vertically a passage I2, which may be furnished by the usualspindle-hole. 'Ihis spindle-hole, however, must be of sufcient diameterto permit the passage of the heads of the heel-securing screws, if theyare to be utilized, and of the tools which are to prepare the work toreceive them. Set in the heel-seat-surface of the last is a metalclinching plate Ill secured in place by screws I6. In the body of thelast is a relatively shallow recess II, preferably of rectangular formand having its upper wall I 8 substantially parallel to the opposedsurface of the p'late Ill. The parallel side Walls 2), 20 extendlongitudinally of the last. The parallel Walls 22, 22 at the ends of therecess are shown as of less length than the sides. Arranged to slidelongitudinally of the recess, so it may move freely under the influenceof gravity, is an abutment-plate 24 of generally rectangular form and'ofless length than said recess. Its parallel side edges 26, 25 engage andare guided by the recess-walls 2B, 2i), while its ends 28, 28, bycontact with the recess-walls 22, 22, determine the extent of itsmovement. In the plate 24 is an opening O having two portions. One, 30,is shown as semi-circular, it cutting through the rear edge of theplate. From this extends forwardly of the last a reduced portion 32 ofthe opening, which may have approximately parallel side walls joined bya curved end. The vedge 34 of the portion 32 on the side of the platetoward the passage I2 and the wall I8 is preferably beveled at an angleapproximating that of the under side of the head of a wood-screw.

TheA drawing shows the last as carrying a shoeupper S with its soles s,to the heel-seat of which a heel I-I has been applied. The cup of theheel or the heel-seat or bot-h have been coated with an adhesive andclamped together upon such a Work-support as that of thepreviously-mentioned application o-r of Letters Patent of the UnitedStates No. 1,826,723, Bertrand, October 13, 1931. Each of these casesdiscloses a power-drill and a power-screW-,driven and the applicationshows associated with the drill a countersink so successive drilling andcountersinking operations may be performed without a change of tools. Inthe drawing of the present case there appears only the heel-tread-rest36 of such an apparatus. In considering the use of my improved last, itmay be assumed that the Work elements have been associated as justindicated. Before clamping them in place, the operator Will incline thelast downwardly from heel to toe, allowing the abutment-plate 24 toslideforward in the recess I'I until the unbroken end 28 rests against thecorresponding recess-Wall 22. This locates the opening-portion 30V asappears in Figs. 1 and 3, the periphery of said portion being outsideand substantially concentric to the mouth of the lastpassage I2. Withthe work clamped and the abutment-plateV thus positioned, the operatormay drill the heel and countersink the heel-seatmaterial with a tool T,which may be powerdriven, as previously indicated, or hand-actuated.Obviously, if desired, a separate drill and countersink may be employedrather than the combined tool. The last-passage l2 and theplate-openingportion 30 pass the tool freely. Upon the withdrawal of thetool, the inclination of the last may be reversed, it being tippeddownwardly from toe to heel. This causes the plate 24 to sliderearwardly until it is arrested by the Contact of the spaced endsurfaces 28, 28 with the opposed wall 22 (Figs. 2 and 4). The portion 32of the opening O is thus brought into registration with the last-passagel2, the inclined surface 34 projecting across the mouth of said passage.A wood-,screw W of the correct size is now inserted in the passage andset by a screw--driver t into the drilled opening in the heel-seat andheel until the inclined under side of its head is forced against theplate-surface 34. With the heel thus firmly clamped, the work may beremoved from the support of which the tread-rest 36 is a part, an-d theadhesive allowed to dry. This having been accomplished, the. screw W maybe backed off by a screw-driver until the abutmentplate may be caused toslide back to its initial position by inclination of the last. Thisrestores the opening-portion 30 to registration with the screw-head sothe setting of the screw may be completed, the hea-d bearing against thecountersink-depression in the heel-seat-material. The retentive force ofthe screw is thereby added to that of the adhesive, it no-w becoming apermanent part of the shoe. It is to be observe-d that this utilizationof a single screw as both a temporary and a permanent clamping means iseffected with the addition to a last of but a single element.

Because of the. character of the heel-seat-material or of the fasteningthat is used, it may not be necessary to employ a countersink, the toolT consisting only of a drill. In that case, the drilling may be donethrough the portion 32 of the opening in the plate 2li, so the tippingof the work between the drilling and the first screwinserting operationis avoided.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A last having a body provided with a fastening-receiving passageopening through the heel-seat-portion, and a member situated at theheel-seat-end of the passage and being free to move upon the last underthe influence of grav- Y ity into and out of position to be engaged by afastening introduced through the passage.

2. A last having a. body provided with a fastening-receiving passageopening through the heel- .seat-portion, a plate secured to theheel-seatportion, there being a space between the lastbody and theplate, and a member movable in Vthe space upon inclination of the lastand provided with an opening having a reduced portion, the member beinglimited in its movement by contact of its edges with the walls of thespace to present either the reduced portion. or a larger portion of theopening in registration with the passage.

3. A last having a body provided with a fastening-receiving passageopening through the heelseat-portion, a clinching plate secured to theheel-seat-portion of the last-body and forming therewith a recess, anabutment-platemovable in the recess, said abutment-plate being providedwith an opening one portion of which will retain the head of a headedfastening while another portion will permit said head to pass, the

. abutment-plate being guided and limited in its therewith a recess, agenerally rectangular abut-y ment-plate movable in the recess, saidabutmentplate being provided with an opening a reduced portion of whichwill retain the head of a headed fastening whileanother portion willpermit said head to pass, the abutment-plate being guided in itsmovement by engagement of opposite edges with the recess-walls, contactof intermediate opposite edges of the abutment-plate limiting themovement of said lplate to present either the head-retaining-portion orthe head-passing-portion of the opening in registration with thelastpassage. v

MICHELE CUOZZO.

